Lamp.



E. A. HAWTHORNE.

LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1913.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

macelg ELLSWORTH A. HAWTHORNE, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. a, rare.

Application filed June 25, 1913. Serial No. 775,624.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLswoR'r'H A. HAW- THORNE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Lamps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to lamps, being more especially though not exclusively concerned with electric lamps intended for use on vehicles and subjected to continual vibration when in use.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of anelectric tail lamp embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which the red jewel is removed from and replaced in the lamp casing;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1 illustrating the locking device which prevents the bezel from rotating;

Fig. 4=-is a sectional view on line 1- 1 of Fig. 2 illustrating the device which prevents the lamp bulb from accidentally unscrewing;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of a portion of the lamp illustrating the mode of fastening the bottom light transmitting element.

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustrative purposes, I have there shown an electric tail lamp of the type in which a portion of the light rays serve to illuminate a registrationnumber plate,

while the remainder serve to light a red rear light-transmitting element.

The illustrative lamp shown comprises a casing 7 for an appropriate lamp 8' which may be and preferably is an electric incandescent bulb having a usual shell threaded into a socket 10. When lamps of this dey scription are in use on vehicles, the 'great and continual vibration to which they are subjected is very apt to cause the electric bulb to unscrew from its into the bottom of the lamp casing. To remedy this difiiculty, I have herein provlded means normally to prevent the bulb from I unscrewing from the socket, such means in the present instance comprising a spring arm 11 secured at 12 in any appropriate manner to the lamp casing as by providing the latter with a lug in which one end of the arm is soldered.

Intermediate its ends, the arm 11 is preferably bent .to form a depression 13 fitted into the thread of the shell 9. The arm is caused to bear with a firm pressure against the shell by having its free end normally held in fixed position as shown in the drawings. F or-this purpose, 1 preferably provlde the casing 7 with a hooked lug 14 punched out of the metal forming the easing and adapted to lock the arm in a manner best shown in Fig. 5. By this means, the lamp bulb is normally securely held and prevented from unscrewing yet may be removed from its place by simply depressing the terminal portion of the-arm 11 downwardly and unhooking it from the lugl i thus freeing the bulb and allowing the latter to be unscrewed.

The lamp casing may have any suitable provision for causing a portion of the rays of light to be shed upon a registration number plate placed below the lamp, but herein the casing is provided in its bottom with an opening 15 covered by a suitable light transmitting element 16 which may be and prefer ably is in form of a sheet of celluloid which is most suitable for the purpose since the shocks and vibrations to which it is subjected socket and drop will not cause it to break. This light trans- Initting element at its marginal portion overlies the bottom surface of the lamp casing in a manner most clearly shown in Fig. 6 and is securely held in this position by means of a plurality of lugs overlying the bottom surface of the marginal portion of the light transmitting element. Herein l[ have provided thelamp casing with two pairs of lugs 17 overlying the longitudinal edges of the light transmitting element and a pair of lugs 18 overlying the ends thereof, all of which lugs are preferably formed by slitting or punching the metal of the casing to form tongues and then depressing such, tongues to a 'suflicientextent to form a space for the insertion of the light transmitting 11c 5 any loose parts which would tend to become detached when subjected to shocks and vibrations.

The lamp casing is provided in its rear wall with an aperture 19 in which is mounted a suitable bezel 20 holding an ap"- propriate light transmitting element, herein what is commonly called a red jewel 21. The rear face of this bezel overlies the margin of the casing about the aperture 19 while the bezel is herein provided with 'aflange 22 extending throughthe aperture to the interior,of the casing. This flange may be and preferably provided with a pair of lugs 23 herein formed by slitting or punching the metal which forms the flange to form tongues which are then bent in an outward direction'so' as to be capable of engaging the inner face of the casing thereby to interlock with the latter and normally prevent the bezel from being withdrawn axially.

The casing 7 is herein provided with a notch 24 through which one of the lugs 23 may be introduced and theri turned to a posi- 30 tion where it will be out of register with the notch. The manner of inserting the bezel is most clearly shown in Fig; 2 froman examination of which it appears that one of the lugs 23 is'first inserted while the bezel is in a somewhat angular position and the other lug is then introducedthrough the notch 24 into the interior of the casing after which the bezel is rotated until the lugs' interlock with the margin of the casing about the aperture, thus preventing the bezel from being withdrawn axially.

Were it notfor the provision of some means to prevent the bezel from rotating after being put in place as described, the vibration to which the lamp is subjected would tend to rotate the bezel until one lug or the other comes into register with the notch in the casing and the bezel with its jewel would drop out of place. To prevent such an accident, I provide suitable means normally to hold the bezel against rotation. Such means maybe and preferably is in the form of a yielding arm 25 secured in any appropriate manner to the casing as by means of a rivet 26 and having its free end interlocking withthe bezel in any appropriate manner] Herein the latter is provided with two notches 27 formedin the flange 22 by a removal therefrom of the metal which is punched out. to form the lugs 23. The free end of the spring arm 25 is made slightly. narrower than the width of the notches 27 and when the bezel is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1 thefree end of the arm will snap intoplace in one of the notches 27 thereby effectually locking the bezel against rotaleasing the same from its interlocking engagement with the bezel. To facilitate the unlocking of the bezel, the member 25 is herein provided with a projection 29 extending through the aperture 28 to a position where it may be readily engaged by ones finger and pressed inwardlythereby with drawing the locking member out of the notch 27. When this has been done, the bezel may be rotated until one of the lugs 23 registers with the notch 24 after which the bezel is removed by withdrawing the lug through the notch in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

As a means for preventing the lug 23 from being rotated beyond the notch 24 in one direction, I may provide a lug 30 extending will be clearly apparent upon an inspection of Figs. 1' and 2. Owing to-the presence of this lug, when the bezel is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 1 and toward the position shown in Fig. 2, the 1mg 23 will bring up against the lug 30 and prevent the bezel from being rotated further, thus ap'-' prising the operator that the bezel is. now in position' with one of the lugs registering with the notch 24.

While I have herein shown and described one' form of my invention for illustrative purposes and have described and discussed.

in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts nor to its'specific application herein shown, b ut -that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.-

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a'lamp, the combination of a cas -ing provided with an aperture,

a bezel mounted in sa1d aperture and having means normally to prevent said bezel from being rename ing being provided with an aperture, through which said finger is accessible from the exterior of said casing 2. 'In a lamp, the combination of a casing provided with an aperture, a bezel mounted in said aperture and having a plurality of lu'gs engaging an inner face of said casing normally to prevent said bezel from being Withdrawn axially, said casing having provision to permit said bezel to be rotated to a certain position and then withdrawn axially, said bezel being provided with a notch, and a locking member within said casing normally located in said notch to lock said bezel against rotation, said casing being provided with an aperture through which said locking member is accessible.

3. In a lamp, the combination of a casing provided with an' aperture, a bezel mounted in said aperture and having a plurality of lugs engaging an inner face of said casing normally to prevent said bezel from being withdrawn axially, said casing having provision to permit said bezel to be rotated to a certain position and then Withdrawn axiii ially, saidbezel being provided with a notch,

saidcasing being provided with an opening,

and a locklng member Within said casing normally engaging said notch to lock said bezel against rotation, said. locking member being provided with. a projection extending through said opening.

4. In a lamp, the combinationof a casing In testimony whereof, I have signed my' name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELLSWORTH A. HAWTHQRNE. Witnesses:

E. HORACE HAWTHORNE, MAnEL K. PEDERSEN. 

